As the sun was coming down, Cami buried herself in Buck's bear hug, enjoying the silent moment close to his chest with but one thought in her head. She waited plenty before finally speaking it.

"Are you gonna keep living here?"

Buck looked up, stunned. Then he seemed to focus on the answer and relaxed again.

"Come winter. Then I'll have to find something else. Why?"

"You're not going back to the pony express station?" "Haven't planned to, but if I don't find anywhere else to stay I suppose I might," Buck replied thoughtfully and smelled her hair. He wanted the conversation to end there.

"Didn't you say you think they're mad with you for leaving?" Cami asked; she couldn't drop the subject, much to Buck's dismay.

"Can you say anything without making it a question?" he teased.

"Am I asking too much?" Cami spoke, then broke out in a hearty laughter when she realized Buck was right. He chuckled against the top of her head. "But are they? Upset?"

"I know Rachel is," Buck replied, again deep in his thoughts, as if seeing the people he spoke of in front of him. "And Teaspoon probably think I could have planned it better. And maybe he's mad I didn't tell him until the day I left." He paused there and Cami feared he didn't want to mention the other riders. But once he had collected his thoughts he went on. "The others." he paused again.

"The others what?" Cami tried to help him back on track.

Buck sat up and sighed, letting Cami sit against his chest. He sighed before speaking again. "I didn't even tell them I was leaving, I just told Teaspoon to keep it a secret," Buck confessed.

"Why?" Cami asked.

"I guess I was scared to face 'em. Jimmy would've fought me, Kid would've yelled and. Lou and Cody would've been really angry. I guess this way at least we separated as friends. Or so I hope," he sighed again when speaking the last sentence and fell hard against the bedroll. Cami landed softly on his chest, and she rolled over to make sure he was okay.

She stroked his face. "What if you run into them in Rock Creek? And Teaspoon, he's still the marshal, you won't be able to avoid him forever."

"I know, you're wise," Buck smiled, caressing her cheek too. "But I'll deal with that the day it happens. And until then."

He got a wicked spark in his eyes and Cami knew what to expect. She welcomed his kiss, caress and everything else that followed, and all their thoughts about tomorrows were soon forgotten. But they both lay awake until early morning thinking of what would happen when the returned to Rock Creek again.

Cami was beginning to wonder what her parents would say, and she feared Buck and herself would drift apart living so far from each other. But she dismissed the thought, and reassured herself that his arms around her body in the silent darkness meant he was serious about their relationship. The both slept deeply for the remaining hours of the night, and waking up was just as pleasant as the weather.

It was early morning when they began the trek home, enjoying the warm sunbeams that washed over them. Buck kept his horse close to hers, and leaning over to kiss her shortly became a habit. She giggled and tried to keep him away, but his horse obeyed every command and stayed close to his newfound friend. And Cami didn't want him on a distance either, she just loved teasing and playing with him; Buck couldn't remember the day he was happier.

Rock Creek piled up at the horizon much too quickly, and when Cami suddenly pointed toward a big white house, surrounded by a white picket fence and a white barn, and announced she was home, Buck's heart sank.

"When will I see you again?" he whispered to her when she dismounted outside the gate.

Cami had already thought out the answer on the way home. "Hide in the barn immediately after dark. I'll say I'll feed the horses tonight."

Buck didn't like the sneaking idea, but he realized Cami was a woman of a wealthy and respected family, and her parents would never approve of their daughter seeing a half-Indian. They couldn't.

"I'm there," he promised and wanted to kiss her again; he was too late. The door to the house flew open and out stumbled a middle-aged woman and a teenage boy.

"Cami!" the older woman hollered and held out her arms to embrace her daughter.

Cami rushed through the gate and met her mother's frantic eyes, allowing her arms around her body urgently.

"Cami, where on Earth have you been?!" the woman scolded, and Buck contemplated leaving. The following conversation was personal and he had no place there. But just as he was mounting again a voice spoke sternly behind him.

"Where are you going?"